


Strands of Time

by psychicdreams



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Drama, Humor, M/M, Magic Revealed, Romance, Smut, Time Manipulation, au season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 06:23:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16805197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychicdreams/pseuds/psychicdreams
Summary: An unexpected delegation seeking refuge from a long journey arrive at Camelot and a simple question to Merlin sends him reeling. Trying to fix the problem, he plays with the strands of time, but not everything goes exactly the same, leaving Arthur to try to pick up the pieces...and confess his love along the way.





	Strands of Time

**Author's Note:**

> An AU starting in early season 2, this is a story that I think I've been working on for almost a year now. It's a behemoth of a 44-page one-shot and written mostly for my enjoyment, so forgive me if the set-up is a little weak. I just loved the idea. Then I got stuck near the end and had writer's block. So I finally sat down and forced myself to finish it up.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

It was times like these that Merlin wished he could use his magic to help things along. The castle was in a mad dash to make things presentable, given their last minute notice of a delegation arriving, and he felt rather useless amid the chaos. Arthur looked like he was about ready to just take out his sword and run away to the practice fields, but Uther’s stern warning was probably still ringing in his ears. It certainly was in Merlin’s.

He caught sight of Gwen and waved to her, and she smiled at him as she rushed down the stairs with a laundry basket. Merlin was about to follow her to see if he could help, only to have his arm yanked nearly out of it’s socket when it didn’t follow his feet. “Ow!”

“What are you doing, just standing here?” Arthur spat. “Go get my chainmail from the armory, they’ll be here within the hour!”

“Why don’t we just go to the armory and you put in on there?”

“Merlin, I don’t have time for your back talk today! Go do it!”

“I’m going, I’m going!” Merlin responded sullenly. Arthur could be a prick, but the only time he’d been this nasty was when they’d first met and they’d been...working out the kinks in their relationship.

The best armor, usually ceremonial, was all gone, but Arthur never wore ceremonial anyway. He took care of his armor to both fight and handle dignitaries. To Merlin, it felt more _real_ than Uther in his ceremonial set that was unlikely to protect much if things went bad.

Lugging up the pile of armor to Arthur’s bedroom had him hissing nasty words under his breath. Any other time, Arthur would have just gone with him to the armory, seen the wisdom in it without him even saying anything. As he stumbled in the open door and dropped the heavy pieces on the table, he groused, “Why is all this such a big deal?”

The prince had already begun to strip to get on the correct clothes for said armor and replied, “This is the Tenre delegation. Their entire culture is based on decorum and appearance. If I don’t appear in my armor, it’s a slight to them, like we’re not taking them seriously or treating them with respect. And their customs, well...”

When Arthur trailed off, coming around his changing divider and holding out his arms for the armor, Merlin prodded, “Well?”

“You’ll see. There’s...no way to really describe them.”

Merlin began with the chainmail and if his hurry caused Arthur discomfort, the prince didn’t say anything. “Don’t we usually get more warning than this? When a delegation comes, don’t they set this up months in advance?”

“Usually, yes, but Father said they’re coming back from their official trip and needed supplies. Even if it’s last minute, we have to welcome them as if it was a planned event. If it were anyone else, we probably wouldn’t have an issue and have to rush so much, but they’re...strange.” There was a pause before Arthur added, “Also, be careful around them.”

“Why?” he asked worriedly. “Are we expecting trouble from them?”

“Not...in the strictest sense.” The prince looked pensive, just a little worried, and like he wanted to say something else, but instead just sighed and continued, “Just be careful, okay?”

It didn’t make any sense to Merlin. If it was last minute they should be prepared that the place they were visiting was in disarray, but he didn’t understand politics. A servant came in, quickly picking up the ignored lunch trays and left. By the time Arthur was ready, cape in place, there was a shout from down the hall and the prince was off to meet the delegation arriving on the steps of the castle. Even from up in Arthur’s bedroom, he could hear the clacking of shod hooves over the cobblestones and he peered down through the window. Arthur had just made it, if the movements of his cape were any indication. Uther shot him a glare, but pasted on a smile immediately after. Merlin couldn’t hear what was said, but he figured it was the same greeting all around, no matter who was visiting.

Time to head to the kitchen to help set up the banquet.

~

Honestly, Merlin thought as he stood behind Arthur’s chair, they seemed perfectly normal if more flamboyantly dressed than most. It was far more elaborate than really needed and there were a lot of feathers in caps and clothes than were probably wise, at least in his opinion. The accents were so thick that sometimes he had a hard time understanding what was said, but nodding and smiling seemed to get him through most everything, so that was what he had ended up doing.

The only one that stood out to Merlin was the ambassador. He was a well-built man, with large hands, and he loved to gesture when he talked and laughed a heavy, almost barrel like laugh. Despite that, he seemed to have an elegance to him that he was surprised at. When he walked, it wasn’t with a heavy gait, but something similar to Arthur’s. Sleek maneuvers that took him across the room in a few seconds and Merlin decided then that he was probably a warrior, at least in his past, before he became a dignitary.

Their eyes met more than once and he nodded politely each time. Always a smile was sent in his way and he didn’t drink as much as expected. In fact, none of the Tenre did and he couldn’t help but lean down to whisper in Arthur’s ear, “They’re not drinking much.”

“They would find it distasteful and an insult to us for any of them to get drunk,” Arthur replied. “And the same goes for us. That’s why we don’t have much wine or mead right now.”

It seemed perfectly reasonable to him, actually. After all, wouldn’t it be a terrible imposition to get drunk at one of these things and make their hosts take care of them? Yet somehow this was the only time he had ever seen where no one became out and out drunk. Most of the time Uther’s rule was to keep the wine flowing.

The longer it went on, the more boring it became. At first he’d been on high alert, waiting for an attack of some sort given Arthur’s warning, but in fact the Tenre’s were highly sociable and congenial. They didn’t carry any weapons with them into the hall and even completely accepted weapons on the guards of their hosts. There were a few oddities with how they liked to place their silverware and who was served first, and the order one did toasts, but he saw nothing untoward.

As the evening rolled to a close, he was looking forward to leaving and that’s when it all seemed to flip on it’s head. The ambassador stood up from his chair and smiled widely at Uther. “This was truly a banquet fit for a king, Your Highness!” the man boasted, his odd accent rolling the r’s heavily.

“Nothing but the best for you, Lord Masser.”

“I’m afraid our journey leaves many of us exhausted, myself included, so we must beg your forgiveness as we retire early and take our leave just as early tomorrow.” Uther waved his hand magnanimously. “Might I choose a companion if he’s not claimed for?”

“Go ahead.”

Just as Merlin was attempting to process how Masser bluntly asked if he could bed someone, and that someone happened to be male, he gestured right to him. Merlin looked behind him, but there were surprisingly no servants of any kind even near him.

It seemed to all happen in split second. Merlin stood there, not really registering anything beyond Uther’s acceptance and his hard stare, as if ordering him not to embarrass Camelot. It was good thing he didn’t have a tray in his hand because it would have fallen to the floor in a horrific clang. The banquet was almost silent and the foreign man looked at him expectantly, as if he should just walk up to him and agree.

His gibbering mind latched onto the fact that Masser had asked if he wasn’t spoken for, and he could have lied and said a name, any name, that he was with and the man would have backed off...but he was drawing a complete blank. Not a single name came to mind in his panic, not even his own. His eyes met Arthur’s in horrified fear.

Uther gestured to him to start walking if he wasn’t going to say anything and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gaius start to get up, but Arthur beat him to it. Just as he was about to take his first step forward, the prince stood abruptly and said, “Unfortunately, Lord Masser, as much as I would love to accommodate you, I’m afraid that he is spoken for.” A heavy, gloved hand fell on his shoulder, keeping him there, even pulling him just a little closer.

Uther’s jaw dropped, but Masser nodded and smiled. “I see we share the same high tastes.” The man raised his glass in salute, drained it, and gestured to his delegation, who didn’t seem at all surprised or put out at the turn of events.

The king stood respectfully as they left and then turned sharply to the prince. “With me!” he hissed, and stalked out of the hall in the silence left behind. Arthur turned to follow, only stopping to grab Merlin’s arm when he didn’t immediately join him.

When the three of them were alone, Uther whirled on them with such a fury, Merlin stepped back as much as Arthur’s grip on his arm would allow. “Just _what_ did you think you were doing in there, Arthur?!”

“Well, I--”

“You will go back to Lord Masser and explain this mess, that you are not and have never—Now! And _you_ ,” he spat at Merlin, “will be sure to not offend him when _you_ handle this.”

Before he could find anything to say in the face of Uther’s outrage, Arthur came to his defense again. “I’m not going to lie to Lord Masser.”

Merlin’s jaw dropped in shock. Arthur was...continuing with the lie? That he was his mistress?!

“Arthur, you don’t expect me to believe that there is _anything_ between you and your manservant.”

“We’re very good at hiding it.” His arm slid around Merlin’s waist, tugging him close until Merlin was jammed up against his side. “It’s been going on for nine months now.”

Uther sighed just as Morgana came around the corner in a hurry. “Just for one second, think that I believe this farce. Just because you have a curiosity about your manservant as a man--”

“It’s not curiosity, I love him and he loves me!” Arthur’s hand abruptly went into Merlin’s hair and he kissed him fiercely. Merlin squeaked in shock, but it was over before he could even think whether he should respond or not.

“This...you...not possible...”

“It is, Father.”

Uther looked like he’d just been punched to the gut. “Until they leave, I’ll hold my peace, but after… you and I are going to have a talk.”

The king stalked away and as soon as he’d turned the corner, Arthur let him go and slumped down the wall to the floor. “That...went well...”

“Arthur, what’s going on?” Morgana asked, kneeling next to the prince.

“Yes, what the hell _is_ going on?!” Merlin demanded, feeling his knees weak and not sure if it was from the situation or the shock of the kiss.

“Well I had to do _something_!” Arthur defended. “And if I didn’t convince Father with it, he’d just make Merlin go anyway.” His fingers clenched into fists. “I know that we have to cater to them, that’s diplomacy, but I’m completely against their custom of just asking to take someone to bed and doing so unless they’re already in a relationship with someone! And Merlin was just _standing_ there, not saying anything, what else was I going to do?”

“You know you can’t go back now, though, right? By the time they’re gone, the whole of Camelot is going to know about your declaration of bedding Merlin.”

Gaius came around the corner just as Merlin’s knees gave out. “Why didn’t anyone warn me?!” he asked. “Why didn’t you, Arthur?!”

“What was I supposed to say? ‘Think of someone ahead of time that you decide you want to be in a relationship with as an excuse and make sure they know just in case’? I didn’t _know_ anything was going to happen. Sometimes they don’t say anything if no one suits their fancy!” Arthur sighed, but it sounded more like a groan. “I thought Father might understand, but he was going to make him go anyway.”

“We can’t let anyone know it was a lie,” Gaius said grimly. “At least not while they’re here, it could cause a diplomatic nightmare. Maybe not even after, depending on how Uther reacts when they’re gone. Perhaps we could stage a moment where you break it off?”

“Without dismissing him from his post? If I do that, Uther will get rid of him faster than a blink to make sure it doesn’t ‘rekindle’.”

“You know your father well,” Morgana said darkly. “For now, the four of us will have to make sure to continue the lie until we find a way out of it without Merlin being banned from Camelot.”

Merlin looked at Gaius. Magic could solve this, one way or another. He could look in any of the books to see if there was a spell that would cause massive amnesia. Or just coming out as a sorcerer would give Arthur an out, that he was being enchanted. Gaius shook his head vehemently.

“Before someone else comes and finds us, Arthur, you need to take Merlin to your room and stay there the rest of the night.”

Arthur sighed heavily before standing up and yanking Merlin up by the arm. “Hey, stop being so grabby! Are you trying to pull my arm out of it’s socket?!”

“Merlin, I’m _this close_ to letting you hang yourself with this situation, so would you just _do what I say_ without an argument!”

“Then why don’t you _say_ something and stop dragging me around?!”

Their argument lasted until Arthur all but threw him into his bedroom and locked the door behind him. “Sit down and shut up. I need...I need to _think_.”

Merlin did as he was told and watched Arthur pace in the darkened room, lit only by moonlight and a few candles scattered around. He swallowed thickly as the large chamber felt so much smaller and the silence meant all he could hear was his own beating heart. “Seriously, Arthur, why didn’t you just _warn me_?” he asked quietly, daring to interrupt the quiet.

“I tried!” he spat, slamming his fist on the table at the word ‘tried’. “Do you not remember me telling you to be careful around them?!”

“That’s not a warning! I was thinking swords, beheadings, an invasion! Not—not---!”

“Then how would you like me to have said it?!” Arthur demanded, voice and temper rising.

“You could have worked it into the conversation somehow!” Merlin yelled. He contemplated standing up and pacing just as much, but the look in Arthur’s eyes said that he was teetering on the edge of what remained of his patience.

“Well if you were better at thinking of someone, _anyone_ , to say you were with, we wouldn’t be in this situation!”

The truth was, Arthur was right. Merlin had registered the way out the ambassador had given him, but all he’d had was white noise in his head. “How do they even get away with this in other kingdoms?” he asked, slumping in his chair.

“Because they’re the biggest trading kingdom in the land, that’s why. Their customs tend to be adhered to just because if they sever contracts, it can cause a lot of problems. And because royalty doesn’t care most of the time who they pick. They never pick someone of royalty, or nobility due to an importance of bloodlines and ties...and most kings don’t care if it’s just a servant. Including my father.”

“But...how...could he?”

Arthur looked at him and sighed, pulling a chair close to where Merlin was sitting, grasping his wrist in a motion of comfort. “Because the trade agreements are important to Camelot’s survival. Make an enemy of the Tenre, and you make an enemy of most other kingdoms. In most treaties, unless it’s stipulated that _that_ custom is not allowed when visiting dignitaries come over, it’s not considered rude or a breach of protocol. I argued heavily against allowing it when our treaty was first signed seven years ago, but they’d never _asked_ for anyone from Camelot before, so I think everyone assumed that they probably wouldn’t.”

Merlin shivered. The very idea of it was abhorrent to him, to just expect someone to agree to that. It wasn’t the idea of two men together that was the problem, but the fact that it was expected of him to go and have sex without any feelings attached whatsoever. “Like hell I’ll ever do that, accept that.”

“I know. I didn’t tell you, because I didn’t know. And I _certainly_ didn’t think they’d pick _you_ of all people.”

“Guess I’m just too irresistible,” Merlin tried to joke, but it fell flat. Arthur’s lips twitched and for the first time since the stressful situation began, he saw compassion come to the bratty prince’s eyes.

“Hardly. But don’t worry, Merlin, you’re out of it. They would never force the issue, that would be impolite. And they won’t stay more than the time it takes to resupply.”

“Out of that...and into the fire. What about Uther?” The prince didn’t say anything for a minute, and Merlin hurried on to try to help the situation in any way he could. “Gaius is right, we could stage--”

“No, Merlin. Uther would have you banished the second it looks like it’s ‘over’. If it doesn’t seem like I’m bedding you, I can’t protect you.”

Arthur, trying to protect him? “Never thought I’d see the day you’d try to help a lowly servant.”

“Yes, well...count your blessings.” The prince shifted awkwardly and leaned his weight on his elbows, bracing them on his knees. “So we have to discuss how this is going to work. I flat out told Uther we were in love, so until we can figure this out, if you happen to have... _feelings_ for a woman...or man...that’s going to have to be put on hold. The same with me.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m always too busy looking after you to find interest in someone else.”

“Merlin, would you be serious for a minute, please?” Arthur hissed, yanking off his gloves and throwing them on the table in frustration.

“Look, Arthur, all I’m saying is that I don’t see how things have to change much, if at all, once the delegation is gone. And besides, once they’re gone, can’t we just tell Uther we lied? He can’t send me to them if they’re not even in the kingdom!”

Arthur seemed to honestly take a moment to think about his suggestion. “It’s...possible. If he doesn’t just decide to punish us both just because we lied. Not to mention that I said it in front of all the nobles and everyone in the entire dining hall. I’ll...talk to him after they’re gone.”

But Arthur still looked terribly pensive about something and Merlin couldn’t help but ask, “What’s bothering you?”

“...It’s nothing.”

“It’s _something_.”

“Help me out of this, would you Merlin?” Arthur stood up and Merlin, grumbling, began to viciously tug at the ties as he contemplated how he could force the answer out. But it turned out that he didn’t have to. After a minute, Arthur continued in a low voice, “He’s not pleased with my protection of you. I think he’s still angry with me that I defied his orders to get that plant for you when Bayard was here, no matter what he said. He thinks I’m not understanding a vital lesson of being a future king, that no one’s life is more important than a king, or in this case, future king.” Arthur laughed a little, but it sounded a bit hollow, not amused in any way. “I fear that even if we told him the truth when the Tenre are gone, that he will look back on my actions with you and read things there that weren’t there.”

“You think...he’ll begin to wonder that the reason you went after the plant was because we were...”

Arthur nodded before stepping behind the divider once Merlin had removed the armor, letting him ponder what he’d just learned. He honestly didn’t see how anyone could construe their relationship as anything other than prince and manservant, possibly antagonistic friends, but Uther could be a paranoid sort. If he thought that Arthur truly fell for a man, his manservant at that, his line would end and there would be no more Pendragons. What would he do to stop that from happening? Was it possible that rather than just accept the possibility that he and Arthur didn’t share the same opinion of those of a lower stature on a fundamental level, he would prefer to believe that somehow Arthur had fallen in love with said servant instead? Wouldn’t that be easier on Uther’s pride in a twisted way?

“Merlin.”

He blinked at his name, turning to see Arthur in his black sleep pants. “Yeah?”

“Do you usually sleep in that?”

Merlin looked down at his clothes, including shoes, and got the hint that Arthur was telling him to change. “I don’t know, the shoes are comfortable,” he joked, but headed behind the divider anyway. “So I’m going to have to sneak out to get some other sheets.”

“Can’t,” Arthur told him without pause.

Merlin frowned and poked his head around the divider, seeing Arthur sliding into bed. “Why not?”

“If you’re caught, how are you going to explain it?”

“But then where am I going to sleep?”

It didn’t seem to have occurred to the prince, as he looked around his room and his lips twisted just a little. “I suppose you’ll have to sleep in the bed with me, at least for tonight.”

“You’re joking, right?”

The prince gave him a black look. “Merlin, I’m exhausted. Get in the bed, shut up, and go to sleep.”

Merlin felt entirely awkward being in just his shirt and pants and only Arthur’s glare made him step from behind the divider. The bed looked so terribly soft, but the person already in it not so much. “...What?”

“Shirt off.”

Merlin gripped his shirt tightly at that. “What? Why?”

“In case a servant comes in, in the morning.”

He was about to argue that no one ever disturbed the prince except him, but did they really want to take the chance? “I think you’re being paranoid,” he muttered, reluctantly discarding his shirt and crawling into the bed.

“The moment I’m not, is the moment we’re caught.” He flopped onto his back with a sigh before looking over. “You’re going to fall off.”

Merlin pouted a bit, but scooted off the edge, further into the bed. It brought him closer to Arthur, enough that he could feel his body heat under the sheets. Rather than feeling tired, he felt full of energy, the residue of adrenaline still pumping through his system. He hazarded a glance over at the prince, who was staring at the canopy above him as if it held all the answers in the world.

“So...your bed is nice.”

“It is.” Arthur gave a short huffing breath before rolling over and showing Merlin his back. “Go to sleep, Merlin.”

 _I’ll try_ , he thought, hoping his mind would stop whirling around.

~~

Merlin woke that morning, not because of insistent stabbing of light in his eyes but because of the lack of it. The window was on the wrong side and not nearly as high as his bedroom usually was, and the curtains were drawn tightly closed. His pale blue eyes blinked open, memories flooding back, and he stiffened just a little. But Arthur was still asleep. He somehow had managed to roll over onto his stomach and his arm had landed across Merlin’s chest.

“How does he even breathe like that?” he muttered, seeing Arthur’s face planted in the pillow. He sighed, sitting up and bracing himself back on his hands. In the light of day, the problems of the night before didn’t seem so insurmountable. Last night, it felt like they’d been trapped in on all sides, but the daylight seemed to tell him that there were still plenty of options. There was telling Uther the truth after the delegation was gone, he still hadn’t looked into any possible spells of rewriting memories or even time, and it wasn’t as if they were alone. Morgana and Gaius knew the truth and he was positive that even if the first two options didn’t work, they would have some idea of ending the charade without him being banished or letting anyone know that it wasn’t a lie.

“Or maybe Arthur should just get married.”

“Married to who?”

He blinked, looking at the groggy prince next to him and watching in amusement as he realized that said arm had landed in Merlin’s lap when he’d sat up. It was quickly yanked away and Arthur in turn pretended that it hadn’t happened at all. “There’s always Morgana.”

Arthur looked at him as if he’d lost his mind and Merlin laughed a bit. He had slept surprisingly well that night, woken up gradually that morning, and the delegation was leaving in the early afternoon at the latest. It could be worse. He could have woken up in the ambassador’s bed. Then again, all he would have had to do was just magic him to sleep. It wasn’t as if Merlin was defenseless. Everyone would still assume they’d slept together, but they wouldn’t have. The problem was, nobody else but Gaius knew about his magic. Arthur thought he was helping.

“Arthur?”

“What?”

“Thank you.”

Arthur looked at him and his expression became awkward the way it always did whenever they were being honest and sincere with each other. “You’re welcome. I wasn’t going to let something like that happen to you. Not unless you wanted it. You...didn’t, right?”

Merlin shook his head frantically. “No, no! Not my type at all!”

“Good.” There was a pause. “Then who _is_ your type?”

“I dunno. Someone that’s good looking, I guess, and brave, and can make me laugh. Who appreciates me and all the times I save their butt. Someone...the opposite of you.”

Arthur snorted and gave him a look, attempting to smack him upside the head, but Merlin merely ducked. He’d just stepped out of bed when the sound of heavy, hurried footfalls carried toward the room and Arthur hissed, “Quickly, back in bed!”

Merlin obeyed just in time, not even thinking about why Arthur told him to. The door was flung open and he flinched at seeing Uther stride right in. He seemed to get even angrier at seeing Merlin still there. “You, out!”

Not sure what he should do, he moved to do so, only for Arthur to quickly grab his shoulder and stop him. “Wait, Father. He’s not decent!”

“I want him out!”

“And I want him not naked when he’s thrown out of my room!”

There was a pause in the argument as a few servants passed, daring to glance into the open doorway and hurried on. By the brightly colored outfit of one of them, some were the Tenre and they were gathering their supplies. Uther waited until they were long out of hearing range and this time his voice was a hiss, rather than a bellow. “Arthur, this is madness. You truly expect me to believe that you’ve been spending almost the entire time he’s been your manservant bedding him?!”

“If you’ll just let me _explain_ \--”

“No, I’ve had enough of this farce, Arthur. As soon as they’re gone, he goes. It was clearly a mistake to make him your manservant.”

There was a pause as Uther paced a little, lost in his thoughts, and Merlin glanced up at Arthur, still gripping his shoulder tightly. “You’re not getting rid of him, Father.”

“I’m not a fool, Arthur. I know there’s nothing going on between you. But by the fact that you’d go to these absurd lengths for him tells me you’re far too attached. You can’t create a diplomatic nightmare every time something happens to one of your favorites. These are lessons I learned at your age, they’re ones that _you_ have to learn as well. Keep your _distance_ from them, keep your mind clear!”

“There _was_ no diplomatic incident!” Arthur hissed back angrily. “They never suspected anything! They accepted it, they’ll probably leave within the hour! Besides, we should never have allowed that clause in the treaty to _begin_ with! As for Merlin, I don’t _want_ another manservant!”

Uther studied the angry prince and his expression changed to one of horrified discovery. “Arthur, you’re really not... _in love_ with the boy.” While it was a statement, it sounded more like a question and one he was afraid of the answer to.

For a minute there was silence and Arthur’s eyes met his. It was now or never. They could still explain this, but Uther seemed to be set on getting rid of Merlin. It scared him to death what might happen to Arthur if he continued with the lie, how Arthur might be perceived and what Uther would do. As the resolve firmed in the prince’s eyes, he finally found his voice and blurted out, “It’s not true.”

“Merlin!”

But he wouldn’t let Arthur ruin what he had for him, not after he could see the good intentions the prat had. They might have had a lot of animosity for each other at times, but he knew that Arthur was doing everything he could for him. He just didn’t think he could bear the weight of the consequences of changing Arthur’s entire future like that.

“He lied to protect me.”

“At least one of you is honest. And in return for that, I’ll be honest with you. I’m telling you to leave Camelot and do not return. I’ll give you the respect you’ve given me by not escorting you to the gates and giving you time to say your goodbyes.”

“No, Father! This--”

But Uther had pulled Arthur to the side, keeping him there while Merlin gathered up his clothes and left. It was his feet that followed the set path as he tugged on his clothes, his mind in a whirlwind of recriminations for himself.

Gaius was waiting for him as he entered the physician’s room, looking up from a book in his hands. “Merlin, about last night--”

“It’s over, Gaius. I told Uther the truth.”

“You did _what_?”

“I’m not going to be Arthur’s downfall. I refuse. So...I’m leaving. Like I was ordered.”

He packed up his things, tuning out Gaius as he tried to change his mind. He hadn’t saved Arthur’s life with the chalice only for him to lose his future a month later. “You’ll just have to keep an eye on him,” Merlin said, stuffing the book of magic he’d been given into his backpack.

“Merlin!”

He brushed past Gaius and went back into the main room, but before he could leave, Arthur threw the door open and burst in. “Merlin, you’re not leaving!”

“Yes, I am. King’s orders.”

“I’m not letting this happen. I swear to you. I didn’t go through all of this just to see you banished.”

Merlin looked into Arthur’s eyes and he could see the resolve there. There was no changing the prince’s mind and he suddenly worried if leaving Camelot would cause him to do something even more outrageous. The heavy weight of the spellbook in his backpack seemed to grow even weightier as that sense of panic set in again. This was all his fault and--

In what he could only describe as a moment of brilliance or madness, he remembered a small piece of paper stuck in between one of the pages. It had been written in Gaius’ scrawl, a hypothesis for magical theory that he must have penned down in his younger years. Gaius had never ruled out the idea that manipulating time was possible and he had studied the magic of the ancients and the druid priestesses. Was it that far of a leap off from magic to manipulate the realm of spirits, which druid priestesses could do?

“Merlin, are you listening to me?!”

“No,” he said as his breath rushed him and he yanked his backpack off, digging around until he gripped the old tome.

Gaius, seeing what he was about to pull out, panicked. “Merlin, what are you doing?!”

Arthur, too curious for his own good, peered over Merlin’s shoulder as he cracked the book open, only to backpedal quickly at seeing what it was. “That’s--”

“I’ll fix it, Arthur. I promise,” he interrupted. He wasn’t going to wait. He was taking the risk of a lifetime, pulling out the book like this in front of Arthur, but if all went as planned and Gaius’ notes on the subject were _correct_ , the prince wouldn’t remember a damn thing about it. If not, well...he was already leaving and he might make the gate before the alarm was raised.

“Merlin, stop!” Gaius cried when he saw the paper he’d yanked out, but Merlin dodged out the way of the reaching hand even as he began his incantation. He tripped, stumbled, and landed right against Arthur--

There was no sense of deja vu, spinning or anything of the sort around him. Just one minute he was in Gaius’ room and the next he was standing in the middle of a busy hallway. He spotted Gwen jogging down the stairs with a laundry basket and he grinned in pure delight. “It worked!”

“Merlin!”

He turned at hearing that strident voice calling to him and he turned around, only to hiss in pain as his arm was grabbed painfully tight. “Hey, what--”

“Not a word, sorcerer. Say anything and I’ll run you through.”

Oh god, he thought in panic. Arthur wasn’t supposed to know anything! In fact, _how_ did he remember?! No one else seemed to at all! He gasped as the prince dragged him painfully down the hall and threw him into his room without pause, the door slamming behind him. Merlin stumbled, feet getting tangled together, and he landed against a chair on his way down to meet the hard stone floor.

He moaned in pain, only to grunt when Arthur was right on top of him, hands around his throat. “You!”

“Wait, wait! Please, let me explain!” he rasped out, feeling those fingers tighten. He dared not use magic right then, lest Arthur just break and kill him. “I was trying to fix it!”

“Fix what?! What did you do?!”

“T-T-The...banquet…!”

At his gasp, the fingers loosened and it seemed to have occurred to Arthur where he was. He looked up, noting the bright sunlight, his red and black clothes, rather than the hastily worn night clothes he’d run to Gaius’ room in. “What...is this…?”

Merlin squirmed his neck out of Arthur’s grasp and coughed violently. “You remember everything?”

“What did you do, sorcerer?!”

“Arthur, what do you remember?!”

At his vehement question, Arthur glared at him and grabbed his wrists tightly. Merlin couldn’t figure out why until he realized that the prince was apparently under the mistaken impression he needed them to cast spells. Well, if that’s what it took to calm him down and believe he was controlled, then he’d let him believe that. “I remember the banquet, the lie, the banishment. I remember you pulling out a book and casting your black magic.”

“Magic is neither black or white,” Merlin told him calmly. “I wonder why you remember everything. Maybe because I tripped and fell into you?” His head fell back against the stone floor and he laughed a little breathlessly. “I can’t believe it worked!”

“ _What_ worked?!”

“Gaius wrote out a theory when he was younger, before magic was banned probably, that it was possible to _bend_ time, to manipulate it and go backwards. His correlation was that you could technically even go forwards if it worked, though that was more difficult because there are plenty of ‘forwards’ to visit. I was panicking, you looked like you were going to do something stupid about me leaving, so I remembered it and thought to try it. I didn’t think it was going to _work_!”

“What would have happened if it failed?”

“Honestly? Don’t know, but probably nothing. Every time a spell fails on me, it just fizzles out and nothing changes.” Merlin looked at Arthur straddling him excitedly. “But don’t you understand what this means, Arthur? It means the banquet hasn’t happened yet and we won’t have to lie to Uther! I won’t get banished and I’ll just figure out a name to say!”

“And what makes you think I won’t just turn you over to my father, here and now?” he hissed menacingly.

“Um...” Merlin really didn’t have an answer to that one. There were no such assurances and he’d only done the spell the way he had because he had assumed that Arthur wouldn’t remember anything.

Before he could formulate a response, the door was thrust open and a servant squeaked as she walked in, seeing them on the floor. “I-I’m terribly sorry, sir!”

“Wait, we’re not--” Merlin tried, but she was already gone. “ _Great_! Well...maybe it won’t be a big thing. Come on, Arthur, you have to get ready, they’ll be here any minute!”

He wasn’t sure what made Arthur move, but the prince stood up silently and Merlin hurried to the armory.

Merlin had a name all planned out by the time the banquet was in full swing. There were only three people in the hall besides himself that knew Will was dead, so he could just claim it was him. It didn’t seem to matter about _gender_ , so long as he had a name. And by picking Will, there was no one there to contradict him that they weren’t in a relationship. It was _perfect_! His chest puffed out a bit in pride at himself and he was almost excited, waiting for the question.

Time seemed drag the entire evening and Arthur didn’t let him out of his sight the entire time. That was fine, because Merlin had nowhere to really go, instead just fidgeting as he counted down the minutes. Finally Masser stood with his wine glass and Merlin tensed in anticipation and his fingers clenched behind his back. He could see Arthur was on edge as well, sitting in the chair. The ambassador smiled widely at Uther. “This was truly a banquet fit for a king, Your Highness!”

“Nothing but the best for you, Lord Masser.”

“I’m afraid our journey leaves many of us exhausted, myself included, so we must beg your forgiveness as we retire early.” Uther waved his hand magnanimously. “But might I say congratulations are in order?”

“For?”

“For your son and his good taste!” Merlin’s eyebrows drew down in confusion as Masser lifted his cup toward the two of them. “I fancied him myself the moment I laid eyes on the young man over there. What a pity I didn’t arrive earlier!”

He couldn’t tell if he wanted to laugh and cry in despair. His stomach dropped to his feet and he felt himself go pale. No, this couldn’t be happening. Why was this different?! Was it because of that stupid few seconds with the servant? No, why would they assume--

Uther looked between Arthur and Merlin. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Lord Masser. They’re in no such...relationship,” he said with a laugh, as if he thought the idea a great joke.

“Oh?” The ambassador looked confused. “It’s what I heard...but no matter. If they’re not in such a relationship, then I would extend an invitation to the lad.”

“Please do.”

Merlin opened his mouth, Will’s name at the ready, when Arthur stood up abruptly. “Lord Masser, my apologies, but we had kept my Father in the dark. The... _rumors_ you heard were correct.”

Now he was _sure_ he wanted to cry in frustration. He growled to Arthur, who kicked him before he said anything. The poor ambassador looked terribly confused as they filed out of the room. Uther looked like he was ready to grab a sword to run him through, and he didn’t even put up any resistance as Arthur pulled him along for the inevitable argument with the king.

Honestly, he didn’t pay a lick of attention to what Uther said. It was the same thing, the wording just a bit different and he merely banged his head against the wall as Morgana and Gaius showed up.

“Merlin? Merlin!”

At Arthur’s annoyed voice, he turned to him. “Why?! Why did you do that?! I had a name! I was _ready for it_ , you...you... _clotpole!!_ ”

Morgana’s jaw dropped at and she even hazarded a shocked giggle at Merlin’s name, but he was in no way amused. He shook Arthur a little. “You...You’ve... _ruined it again_!”

“Merlin,” Gaius said cautiously, touching his shoulder.

“How was I to know you had a name! You didn’t tell me!” Arthur spat back.

“Well now look what you did! I had everything under control and now I have to do the damn spell _again_!”

Gaius sucked in his breath as if someone had punched him and Morgana gasped. “Spell?!”

“Let the whole bloody castle know while you’re at it! And I’m not sure allowing you to do _any_ magic is a good idea! I’m still wondering why I haven’t run you through yet!”

“Because I’m the only one that can _do something_ about this situation!”

Arthur growled and glared at Gaius and Morgana. “Come with me.” The prince led the way to his bedroom, sneaking the rest in so no one saw and thought there was a foursome going on or something worse. “You explain, since you seem to think you know best.”

Merlin growled back at the distrustful prince before sighing and going through what had happened the last time. Morgana, somehow, didn’t seem even at all surprised, but Gaius became livid, moreso than even the prince.

“You _fool_!” the old man spat, the vehemence surprising even Arthur, who walked over to the table from where he was pacing. “Playing with time magic was just a theory of mine when I was young and foolish! The _damage_ you can do is incalculable! And as you can see, nothing happens the same way twice!”

“What was I supposed to do, let Arthur’s entire future ride on the line to protect me?!” he demanded, missing the prince’s surprised look. “I wasn’t going to let that happen! And this would have worked if the clotpole had let me handle it!”

“Enough!”

Silence fell at Arthur’s interruption and the prince paced a bit more before bracing his hands on the back of Merlin’s chair. His presence was looming behind him and Merlin wondered if he should be worried that he was going to be killed after all. After a second, he took a shaky breath and peered over his shoulder. “Really, Arthur. I can fix it. I just need to do the spell again, we’ll repeat it just like we did the first time, and I’ll say Will’s name like I planned.”

“Will? The sorcerer—Wait...that was you then, back at your village.”

He grudgingly nodded. “Will was doing it to protect me. He thought you might kill me.”

“He’s right. I just might.”

Gaius stepped forward. “Your Highness, I realize this has been a shock with Merlin’s magic revealed, but I cannot stress enough that Merlin is not evil _and_ he should not perform the spell again. I should have destroyed my notes a long time ago.”

“We don’t have to decide right now, though, right? We can always wait for another day or two.”

“You can only go back so far, Merlin. The more time passes, the much harder to go back it would be and the more danger there is in doing so. You risk great harm to yourself, not to mention others and even the world itself.”

“One more time,” he pleaded, standing up and looking right at Arthur. He had to convince the prince, because he knew that if he tried it without his permission, he’d be dead. Arthur wouldn’t hesitate to run him through or turn him into his father if he wasn’t on board. “One more time is all I’m asking. _Trust me_ to fix it. We’ll go back, you proceed normally and let me handle it and it won’t happen. I promise.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Arthur challenged him. “What if you’re wrong and you can’t get out of it? What if you make it worse?”

“Even if I end up in his room, I can just put him to sleep. He won’t even know we didn’t do anything! But even then, I’m more concerned about you! Even if things go south, you _can’t_ say anything. You _can’t_. If we do this, you have to let me do everything.”

Their eyes met and Merlin tried his best to impress his will onto the prince, to make him trust him just enough to not interfere. _Please, please_ , he silently begged. He could solve all of this and help Arthur, and didn’t Arthur know how badly he wanted to help him? Merlin didn’t like the idea that Arthur had to protect him, when his entire existence was to protect Arthur. He’d go to hell and back for him.

“One more time,” Arthur said, ignoring Gaius’ protest. “If this doesn’t go right, you _will_ let me handle it. You will do as _I_ say.” Merlin nodded in agreement.

“Should we go get the book?” Morgana asked in the silence.

“No, I remember it perfectly.” The image of that page was emblazoned in his mind and as he began his chant, he felt Arthur’s hand grip his shoulder painfully tight.

Light again assaulted his eyes and he blinked. This time he didn’t look to the left where he knew Gwen was and instead behind him. Arthur was back there, standing still, and watching him. The last time to fix it. This time, no banishment, no argument with Uther, and no declaration of their relationship. He would make this work!

He lugged the armor up to Arthur’s room where the prince was waiting. He licked his lips nervously and took what he hoped wouldn’t be the last opportunity to talk to Arthur about his magic. “Listen, Arthur… I know you don’t like my magic and you may hate me now that you know, but I really need you to know that I’d never, ever hurt you. I just want to help you, to protect you when you get in trouble. I don’t know how you see me, but sometimes I even think we might be friends. I think you’re a good man and I just want...to help you become an even better one.”

As he latched the cape in place he dared looking into Arthur’s eyes. The prince was watching him, still wary, but he hoped that some of what he said went through. “If you really want me to leave after all this, I will, but just let me help you this one last time, okay? I’m hoping it’s not the last time, but if it is, then it is.”

“We’ll see,” was the noncommittal response. “Magic can’t fix everything. Remember that.”

He watched as the prince left the room and he prayed to everything he knew that it wasn’t the last time.

Everything went just as the first night. The same talk, the same raucous laughter, and he waited for the announcement. He could feel Arthur’s eyes on him throughout most of the night and he tried to still the shaking hands he had firmly latched behind his back. Why was he nervous? Gaius’ warning was ringing in his ears that not everything was the same every time, but why wouldn’t it be? They had done the same thing as before and no one had caught them in a compromising position this time, so why wouldn’t it be the same?

But the toast of Lord Masser to the banquet were the same words and as he waited, it never came. There were no offers made to him and while their eyes met, the man merely turned to clasp hands with Uther and said something to him in private. Uther nodded and gave a ‘by all means’ gesture. Merlin shared a suspicious look with Arthur, but finally departed after all the servants had left.

Had...had they managed to get out of the situation entirely? He’d been watching Masser like a hawk, but everything had been the same. So why? Was Gaius right? Even though they’d done the exact same thing, that didn’t mean something _else_ hadn’t changed, right? Arthur had told him magic couldn’t fix everything, but Merlin had honestly never been in a situation where he couldn’t find _something_ his magic could do to help.

“Young lad.”

Merlin paused and turned around, blinking at seeing the ambassador there. He was in the completely wrong wing and he looked lost. “My Lord?”

“I seem to have gotten lost. Can you show me to my room?”

How could he have gotten lost? Where were the servants that were supposed to be showing them their room? “Of course,” he replied with a fake smile and turned down a different corridor than he’d planned. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

“Oh, I did. Camelot has always been a most pleasant place to come. Truly, the people know how to have a wonderful celebration and to treat their guests. I do so enjoy coming here, almost more than my own home.”

Something about the easy-going man lowered Merlin’s guard. He had such an open face and he seemed to ooze honesty when he spoke. The praise to Camelot, a place he now considered his home, made Merlin smile brightly. “I’ve only lived here for a year, but I think I fell in love with Camelot within weeks. The people here are great.”

“That is wonderful to hear, that I am not alone in my affections for this place.” As they rounded a corner, the ambassador let out a booming ‘Ah!’. “I recognize this place!”

“I’m glad I could help.”

“What is your name, lad?”

“Merlin. I’m Arthur’s manservant.” His feet took him into the room with Masser, not realizing what he was doing, as they continued their conversation. “Were you a warrior, by chance?”

“In a previous life, you might say,” the man agreed. “Twas a long time ago, and an injury that took me from the battlefield entirely. How did you know?”

“I just watched the way you moved. You remind me of Arthur when he walks, the way that I guess all light-footed warriors do.”

“I’m honored you found me interesting enough to watch. I must admit that I was watching you since I saw you and my good fortune found you in the hall to help me.”

Merlin tilted his head, feeling his heart start to pound in nerves. Did he dare assume that Masser was saying what he thought he was? But what if he was wrong and he offended the man in some way? Uther would have a fit. “Oh, there’s not much of interest to watch with me.”

“On the contrary, I find you fascinating. So prideful and yet a manservant?” He shook his head. “Merlin, would care to do me the great honor of sharing my bed tonight?”

“O-Oh, well...I… I c-can’t. I’m...completely in love with...with someone from my village and we’re...promised to each other, you see. H-His name is Will.”

Masser tilted his head and looked at him for a long moment. “You do not sound convincing to me.”

Maybe because it sounded weak to his ears too. He’d stumbled his way through that entirely and even to him it sounded like a lie. He’d been so busy trying to act surprised at the question that he hadn’t come up with a better way to say Will’s name. And in all honesty, he didn’t _want_ to lie to Masser. He was a good man, not at all overbearing and wonderfully congenial. He could spend hours talking to him...but he wasn’t at all attracted or interested in him sexually.

“Well, I--”

“That’s because he’s lying.”

His head snapped to the side to see Arthur, still resplendent in his armor and cape, standing in the doorway. “Arthur!”

“He’s covering up for me.”

“Arthur, _no_!”

Masser looked between the two of them, at Arthur’s deadly serious face and Merlin’s panic. “That...makes much more sense. He speaks more passionately just now with you than about this ‘lover’ of his back at his village.”

“But that’s—no, really--”

Masser bowed low to Arthur. “Do accept my apologies for this horrendous breach of conduct on my part.”

“Apology accepted. It’s hardly your fault, we have been keeping it silent from the castle as best we can.”

“Why? Such a beautiful relationship should be cherished.”

“My father would never approve, so we have been keeping it quiet from him. He would banish Merlin from Camelot if he knew.” Arthur gestured at Merlin. “Come, Merlin.”

“But Arthur--”

“Now.”

Not wanting to test the limits of Arthur’s patience, Merlin stepped out of the room and waited until they were well out of earshot from the closed door. “Arthur, what do you think you were doing?! The point--”

“You’re an absolutely terrible liar, Merlin. I followed you just in case and it’s a good thing that I did.”

“But Uther--”

“Doesn’t know,” Arthur told him, ushering him into his bedroom and tossing off his gloves. “It was just the three of us and I did my best to impress on him not to tell anyone. He believes it and no one else knows, so we’re out of this mess.”

Arthur...was right, wasn’t he? This time nothing was said in front of dozens of people, Uther had no idea, and they were safe. Merlin felt the tension leave his spine entirely and he sighed in relief. “Oh thank god. It’s over.”

“Now, about your magic...” Merlin looked up nervously, but Arthur was rubbing his face. “You know what? Never mind. I’m far too tired to deal with it right now. Go to sleep.”

Merlin slipped out of Arthur’s room and back to his own. Gaius was already asleep and he was ready to collapse into his own bed. He hadn’t slept since the night he’d been in Arthur’s room before using so much heavy magic. The relief took the adrenaline right out of him and he was dead to the world before his head hit the pillow.

~~

He stood next to Arthur as they saw the party off the next morning, watching idly as Masser and Uther were deep in conversation for several minutes. He waved when their eyes met and the man smiled right back with a respectful nod. Merlin was all but humming under his breath as he turned to go back into the palace, only to stumble back at Uther’s furious glare.

“You two. Follow me.”

He shared a confused glance with Arthur, who shrugged at him. It didn’t look terribly out of the ordinary to others, the king wanting a chat with his son and the manservant tagging along. Uther was always angry about one thing or another, so it didn’t seem to raise any red flags with anyone else. He flinched as the door to the small throne room was slammed shut behind him and the king paced a bit.

“I have just been informed of some unpleasant news. Care to guess what it was?”

“I have no idea, Father,” Arthur replied with a shrug.

“Care to explain then, how Lord Masser told me that you’ve been bedding your manservant?”

Merlin choked loudly, earning glances from the two members of royalty and he paled. Wait, Uther hadn’t been there! Had Masser… Had Masser been thinking he was ‘helping’ by talking to him in private? But Arthur had all but come out and asked him to be quiet about it!

“I see it’s true.”

“Father--”

“You think to lie to me, Arthur? Look at his reaction!” Arthur looked at him and he could only helplessly stare back. “This explains so much, why you would go so far as to defy me at every given turn when that boy is involved.”

Uther turned around, voice quiet still, and Merlin shook his head frantically at Arthur. They had to tell Uther the truth. The prince finally nodded his head and said, “Father, that’s a lie. We told Lord Masser a lie, because he was going to pressure Merlin into his bed.”

The king whirled around and yelled, “Don’t you dare try to lie to me!”

“It’s not a lie!”

“Then you won’t care if I banish him from Camelot.”

This couldn’t be happening, Merlin thought. Rather than before where Uther refused to believe the lie, now they couldn’t get him to believe the truth. “Father, don’t!”

“See?! If you weren’t bedding him, then why would you care if he was banished?”

It felt like he was stuck in a nightmare. Was there no way of getting out of it without either making Arthur’s life a living disaster or being banished? What was he going to do now?

There was a pause and Arthur’s hand gripped a nearby chair. “Fine, I’ll admit it, Father. I love Merlin.”

It was happening all over again. Arthur was stubborn to a fault and he was determined to protect Merlin, even after he knew about his magic. Why didn’t he just tell him? Uther turned away as if horrified and Merlin grabbed Arthur’s arm, mouthing, ‘ _Tell him about my magic!’_

Arthur shook his head vehemently, turning his head back in time to see his father sit down and bury his face in his hands. “Where have I gone wrong?”

“Who I love has nothing to do with how you raised me,” Arthur told him. “And I will not see him banished.”

“Get out of my sight, the both of you.”

He was tugged out of the room and Merlin numbly followed. He was getting to know Arthur’s bedroom far more than he wanted to and he slumped into the nearest chair. “I can’t believe this.” Desperate, he stood up again. “Arthur, let me try again.”

“ _No_!”

“But--”

“Magic can’t fix everything, Merlin! And our deal was _one last time_. It didn’t work so you will shut up, sit down, and not touch that damn spell again!”

He dropped back down in his chair, feeling a numbness creep up on him. After everything he’d done, he hadn’t managed to avoid it. In fact, somehow, he thought he’d made it worse by trying to muck with it. Now they couldn’t get Uther to believe they weren’t together and it was possible that they could have convinced the king to not banish him the first time… Was banishment or relationship the only options?

“He’s going to send me away regardless. In fact, this might be worse. It wasn’t said in front of others, so...”

Arthur gave him a look. “So you see that magic only made the issue even worse.”

“Don’t try to blame magic for this.”

“Shall I point your own words right back at you? It’s _worse_. Father might not have liked it the first time this happened, but with it being said in public, in front of an ambassador, he wouldn’t have made a diplomatic incident by getting into an argument and contradicting me. Since it was said in private, now, no one has to know why you suddenly ‘left’.”

Merlin slumped. Arthur was absolutely right. “I was just trying to help you,” he muttered.

The prince sighed. “I can see that...but no more magic.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe if I can convince Father that no one else ‘knows’ about it and that I’ll break off this ‘relationship’ without anyone knowing, that it’ll be over. Assuming he doesn’t try to order you to leave just in case.”

“What about an amnesia spell for Uther?”

Arthur growled. “What did I just say about magic?”

“But--”

“ _No. More. Magic_.”

He frowned and muttered, “Then what’s your solution, shout it from the parapets?”

But the prince blinked. “You know, that might actually work.”

“What?”

“The problem we have is that we have no pressure on Uther for him to leave you alone. If it was announced, or somehow became common knowledge, we might be able to use the threat of him publicly disagreeing with his son over his ‘love’. Particularly if you had other kingdoms supporting it.”

“That still doesn’t solve the problem of you ‘being in a relationship’ with me. That was the whole point of trying to change it, so that didn’t happen,” he pointed out.

“We’re not likely to get around that and right now, my priorities are to keep you in bloody Camelot even though I _should_ let him banish you as mercy.”

Merlin didn’t even have to ask why. It would be a kindness to just let him get banished rather than Uther find out about his magic. “Why haven’t you told him?”

“I don’t know. I should have run you through the moment I found out. Instead, I’ve not only let you live, but let you do magic.” Arthur shook his head. “Instead, all I can think about is your idiocy. Only an idiot would come to Camelot when they have magic and I’m not stupid enough to think you haven’t used _any_ of it before now. Right under Father’s nose!”

“Hey, it’s saved your life a few times!”

“I figured you’d say that.”

“No, it’s true,” he spat at the disbelieving snort. “What saved you from getting stabbed with that dagger in the banquet hall? _Magic_. What saved you from the questing beast’s poison? _Magic_.” He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair with a glower. “And if I was as evil as everyone says magic is, I would have let you die.”

“See, this is why you’re an idiot. I hold your life in my hands and rather than just shut up and do what I tell you, you have the gall to argue with me and not sound the _least_ respectful.”

He eyed the prince, but he thought he saw the faintest curl of Arthur’s lips. Was it possible that he was amusing enough to him that he’d let him live? He knew that he was in danger with Arthur knowing and by all rights, he _should_ be groveling, but it was hard to remember to do that when the prince was being a prat as he always was. “How can you still be a prat while trying to help someone?”

“You do it all the time.”

Merlin couldn’t help laughing at that and maybe, he thought, their friendship might just weather this. There had been a point where he thought it might be touch and go, but sleeping seemed to have settled Arthur so that he wasn’t _quite_ so angry with him. “I’ve been able to use magic since I was three and since then, I’ve never met a problem I couldn’t fix with it,” he told him honestly.

“You’ll just have to learn mundane problem solving then because the first thing you’re going to do is stop using magic.”

He glared and stood up. “Arthur, magic is like breathing to me. I can’t just _stop_ and without it, what have I got?”

The prince eyed him speculatively, a hint of wariness in his eyes and just a bit of respect. “Merlin, you may have magic, but that doesn’t define you.”

“Then stop using your sword!”

“What?”

“Stop fighting and going into battle. Stand there while other people protect you!” Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but Merlin didn’t give him a chance. “See? That’s what it’s like when you tell me not to use magic.”

The prince growled. “Fine, I see your point, but you will _talk to me_ first and I’ll be the one to tell you if you can or not.” At his rebellious look, the prince hissed, “I’m the one that’s keeping you alive from Uther, and this is my condition for doing so. _Don’t_ push me on this, Merlin.”

He could see the resolve in Arthur’s eyes and knew that while he was being given latitude with the prince, it wasn’t all-encompassing. At least for the moment, if he wanted to keep the man on his side, he had to abide by the rules he set out. It was possible that he could get them to bend a bit in the future, but it was too close at the moment. He should be grateful he still had enough trust in him to be able to convince him to not turn him in the moment the word magic was breathed.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t resentful that he couldn’t do it when he wanted it, but he at least understood that he had to compromise if he was going to continue to live and be around Arthur right then. Maybe it was a way that Arthur felt safe to be around him and Merlin blinked as he realized that how could the prince not be a bit scared of him? He’d been in such a rush, so focused on the problem, that he hadn’t realized Arthur’s world had been turned upside down. Here was this sorcerer that had been around him for at least a year, that he had allowed so close to him and so personally, and he was powerful enough to manipulate time. It didn’t matter that he had done it for the prince’s benefit, it had to make him nervous at the thought of what could happen if he turned against him. For as much as Arthur held his life in his hands, he had his. If he was that powerful, he could just kill him before he had a chance to tell the king.

“Arthur, you know that I wouldn’t ever hurt you, right?” Merlin blurted out.

The prince blinked, halfway to his desk, and looked back at him. “Where did that come from?”

“Tell me, Arthur. You know I wouldn’t, right?”

“...No, I don’t know that.”

His eyes widened in shock and he couldn’t help going right up to the man, ignoring the way he flinched and took a step back. “Arthur, I would _never_ hurt you. I’m willing to give my life to make sure you live. That questing beast? That’s what I was trying to do to save you. It was supposed to take my life in exchange for yours.”

“And yet you’re still here.”

He grimaced. “Long story, I’ll tell you some other time. But you need to know I wouldn’t hurt you. And before you even think it’s because of some stupid notion like I’m ‘supposed to’ because you’re a prince, that’s not it. I care about what happens to you, prat that are, and...well...I’ve been thinking that it’s possible we could be friends at some point. I would never let anything happen to you, so you don’t have to worry about me hurting you. I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m asking you to believe me.”

Arthur was quiet, staring at him, and Merlin shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. He’d give almost anything to know what the prince was thinking about right then, whether he thought that everything he’d said was just a lie to save his own skin, but the thought that Arthur could think he was capable of hurting him was like a pain that made it difficult to breathe. He didn’t know how, and he didn’t know when, but somehow Arthur had wormed his way into Merlin’s life, into his heart, and he wasn’t going to let anything happen to him no matter what it took.

“And this is what makes you an idiot.”

“...What?”

The prince sighed. “Never mind. Right now, I need to think, so go back to Gaius, act as normal as possible, and do whatever it takes to avoid Father while I try to fix this.”

“Arthur--”

“Now.”

Merlin sensed now was not the time to test his boundaries and instead, he nodded and stepped out of the bedroom.

~~

Arthur just couldn’t believe everything that had happened in three days. It was enough to make his head spin for so many different reasons and he felt just a bit on the sick to his stomach from all the changes. He rested his head in his hand as he sat at his desk. Merlin, his most beloved Merlin, had magic. In some ways, it explained so much, yet it was still a shock to him.

The prince was no fool. He was well aware he’d been in love with Merlin for months, since the incident with Bayard and that sincere ‘thank you’. The way his eyes had looked so serious, how their gaze had met head on, had caused his heart to skip a beat. He had been a little paler than usual, looked tired, but at that moment, Arthur didn’t think he’d seen anyone more stunning. He’d risked his life for his, could have died, and Merlin didn’t ask for anything from him. He hadn’t expected the prince of Camelot to go running off to save his neck. Right then he felt a frisson of fear that all he wanted to do was wrap that blanketed form up in his arms and never let go.

Arthur wasn’t sure how he’d managed to keep his composure and the only way he could stop himself from acting on that so strong impulse was to order Merlin to get rest. Yes, Merlin had said he’d be working the next day, but Arthur almost didn’t want him to. He wanted to be sure that Merlin was fully recovered.

When he’d seen Merlin’s magic, he’d felt fear and for a dizzying moment he’d been out of his mind in anger at the thought that maybe his feelings were magically induced. The very idea that he could be manipulated made him want to hurt something when he considered the anguish and shock he’d dealt with so long ago after he realized his feelings. For _him_ to fall for another man, for the irrepressible, loud, disrespectful, and entirely hilarious and deeply loyal manservant that had turned his entire world upside down. If that had been intended, manipulated…

But Merlin’s behavior didn’t live up to his worst fears. If his feelings had been magically induced, surely he would have used them to save his own skin? Instead, Merlin had been frantic to try to fix it, but not for his own sake. He was so open, so vulnerable, as he tried to convince Arthur to let him try his magic again and failing that, trying to make him realize that he’d never hurt the prince.

Arthur growled under his breath. This was why Merlin was an idiot. The best thing for his own situation was to hurt Arthur, to kill him, to save his secret, but the look in Merlin’s eyes said he was indignant at the thought that Arthur might think he could hurt him. _Indignant_. When he held Merlin’s life in the palm of his hands, rather than frantic groveling or begging...he was proudly _outraged_ that Arthur even question his devotion to him.

“What do I do with him?” he muttered. His heart gave a painful thump and he couldn’t help but feel a bit of excitement at the situation. He shouldn’t, he was rightfully terrified at the thought of Uther sending Merlin away, but he couldn’t deny the current situation had its perks. If he could pull it off, he’d at least have to ‘pretend’ to be closer to Merlin and he could take the opportunity to do things to him that he had wanted to do for a long time.

That brief kiss during the first argument with Uther had not been _nearly_ enough and he hadn’t had the slightest moment to even appreciate it, given the situation. He’d been angry and upset at the thought of anyone else touching Merlin, and then his father had looked ready to force Merlin to go. And Merlin, he’d thought, would do it because that’s what he was told.

His whirling thoughts didn’t get him anywhere. He couldn’t think of any way to convince his father to keep Merlin even when he flat out told him the truth. Arthur couldn’t help but worry that he had made a mistake, not keeping Merlin under his watchful eye in case he did something stupid or worse, used his magic. He didn’t want to think Merlin would go behind his back when he’d forbidden it and nor could he deny that magic still didn’t cause him a great deal of concern. He didn’t understand it and he didn’t trust it...but he trusted Merlin, enough that he wasn’t going to shackle him next to him every minute like he was a prisoner. That was the fastest way to get Merlin feeling resentful of him and that was the last thing he wanted.

Arthur finally stood up and headed out of his room to the one person he thought could figure this out. It was just going to take a bit of groveling to get the help he needed though.

~~

Morgana was sitting at her vanity brushing her hair when he found her. Thankfully Gwen was nowhere in sight, which would make this difficult conversation at least marginally less than next to impossible to have. She looked at him through the mirror and raised an eyebrow. “How rare for you to visit me. What does Uther want now?”

If nothing else, Arthur thought, he could at least hope to play to her dislike of Uther in this plan if she wouldn’t do it just for him. “Uther doesn’t know I’m here and I’d like to keep it that way.”

She blinked and put down her brush, turning around in her chair to look at him seriously. “What’s going on?”

He crossed his arms, hoping to hide the shaking of his hands. He’d never been good with sharing his feelings to start with, and he’d never told anyone this. He’d had enough trouble in the beginning just accepting it himself. “I have a problem and I need your help.”

She stood up then and came over to him in concern. She knew as well as he did that he wouldn’t have come to her if he could think of another option around it. “What is it?”

Arthur debated about mentioning magic, and ultimately decided the entire story had to be told so she could understand everything and how dire the situation was. So with a glance around to make sure they were completely alone and no one was there to overhear, he told her everything. From the first time the banquet had been held, to the second time just as a disaster, and now this. Her eyes went wide in shock.

“Honestly...Merlin having magic makes a lot of sense,” she said, just a bit shakily. “So you want to know how to get out of this?”

“No, actually. Not...precisely.”

“Oh? Then what do you want? You wouldn’t come here and compromise his secret with me if you didn’t want anything.”

How perceptive she was. Arthur licked his lips nervously and admitted quietly, “I love him, Morgana.” A faint gasp escaped her lips, but she said nothing and he continued with almost gritted teeth. “The first night, I thought I was going to go mad when the ambassador asked for him. I could barely hear over my own heartbeat and Merlin wasn’t _saying_ anything. When he looked at me, I could see he was panicking. He hadn’t the faintest name in his own head and I just… I couldn’t take the thought that someone else would have him when he clearly didn’t want it. The second time, I wasn’t all that dissatisfied with the outcome. I didn’t know he had a name, but it didn’t turn out all that badly, considering it could have gone worse.

“I could have handled it...somehow, but Merlin was practically begging me. He was so irritated, thinking he could solve ‘my problem’ and convinced that it was my fault, and...”

Arthur dropped into a chair and Morgana said, “And you gave in.”

“He looked so unhappy with how things had ended up, so convinced that he could ‘make it right’. I don’t like the magic he did, I don’t trust it, and if Gaius’ words are any indication, he could have seriously hurt himself and us...but I couldn’t say no. I’d give him one more chance. And this time it seemed like it was doing fine. The ambassador didn’t say a word and I thought maybe Merlin was right...but I spotted him talking with him and I followed. Of course he ended up in his room and of course his lie about his friend was absolutely pathetic. I know that Merlin said he could have easily just put him to sleep, but I didn’t know if that would mean he’d know when he woke up that he did magic. If Masser believed magic wrong and realized he’d been put to sleep...”

“So you stepped in again.”

“Yes. And it seemed to be settled. Only the three of us knew. We saw them off, things seemed fine...and then apparently the ambassador, in his attempt to ‘help’, told Father about it. And now he’s going to banish Merlin. He won’t believe me when I tell him the truth, that there’s nothing actually going on and I have no leverage against him to keep Merlin safe. This is so much worse than either the first or second time, which is what I feared would happen when I let him do the spell again.”

“I see why you came to me now,” Morgana said seriously and sat down in a chair next to him, her jewelry jingling just a little as she thought. “The problem that we have is that Uther has no incentive to keep Merlin here...so why don’t we _make_ one? Rumors, if used properly, can be a great help.”

“What would it matter if people in the palace believe it? Uther wouldn’t care if it’s just some servants gossiping.”

“Servants lead to the masters. Though nobility pretend they don’t exist, they do have ears. People, and not just servants, love to gossip. It’s human nature. And I’m aware of a few nobles that have...sympathies for the kind of situation you’re in.”

“You mean men that...”

“Not just that, Arthur. You think you’re the _first_ in nobility or royalty to fall in love with a servant? Not to mention the knights.” The knights! He hadn’t thought of them! He must have looked pale because Morgana continued, “Arthur, the knights adore you, far more than they do Uther. They’ll hear that you’re in love and they’ll support you, particularly with Merlin. It’s hard not to fall for Merlin, for his sincerity and pureness. They already know him and they know how much he’s devoted to you.”

He really hoped Morgana was right. “You think that would be enough?”

“I’m hoping so. I’m leaving room in this plan for changes, but it’s a good start. Then, time to start winning over Merlin.”

Arthur blinked. “What? Slow down, Morgana, I’m not sure about that.”

“About what? You love Merlin, don’t you?”

“Yes, but… I’ve never...felt this way about a man before!”

“Merlin isn’t just a ‘man’. He’s ‘Merlin’. I realize you’ve never been in love before, that you’ve never had to pursue anyone, but now’s the time to learn. You were upset thinking that someone was going to take him away from you, right? If you don’t do something about it, that’s going to happen eventually and you won’t be able to stop it.”

She was right, damn her. Right now, Merlin was unattached and clearly didn’t have anyone in mind. If he did, the entire situation could have been avoided, but if he didn’t do something about it, Merlin could very well fall for someone else. “What...would you suggest?”

“Nothing overt right yet. Just build up to it, little things. Touch him just a bit more on his shoulder, include him in things more, and most importantly, try to understand him. I realize that magic is scary to you, but he didn’t choose to be this way and his magic is clearly important to him. You can’t dismiss that. Maybe you’ll never like it, but if you want Merlin, you have to accept it.”

“I know that!” he hissed. Maybe he was a lovestruck fool, but he didn’t see that magic could be completely evil if Merlin had it. His father’s words that every sorcerer’s heart was black and everything they did was bad just felt _wrong_ when he thought about Merlin.

Morgana stood with a firm resolve on her face. “Good. Now that that’s sorted...”

Arthur figured their meeting was over and he headed for the door only to be stopped by his name. “What?”

She looked at him and said, “Out of curiosity, I have to ask: how did you sleep that night with Merlin in your bed?”

“Poorly,” he growled and left, hearing her lilting laughter behind him.

~~

Gaius had been fit to be tied when Merlin had explained everything and he didn’t think he’d ever seen his surrogate father so mad in his life. He’d even taken the paper he’d wrote his notes on and burned it right in front of him. That was fine, because Merlin wasn’t sure it was worth doing the spell again. Everything seemed to go wrong when he tried and it might make Arthur feel better to know that it was gone. Not that he didn’t remember it, but still… Best not to tempt anyone.

He didn’t hear anything from Uther in the next few days, though he was waiting for it and ended up being far too jumpy. It was his paranoia that he put it down to when he thought the servants that passed him stared at him. Whenever they spotted him walking by when they were talking, they’d stop and he couldn’t help feeling worried.

A hand dropped onto his shoulder and he almost jumped out of his skin, whirling around and letting out a breath when it was just Arthur.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing,” he replied to Arthur’s question, not really wanting to get into it.

The prince didn’t seem to believe him, but let it go. “Get the horses ready, I need a ride away from here.”

Merlin bit his lip in concern, wondering why Arthur needed to be away from Camelot so urgently. But he did as he was told, even going so far as to pack a small pack of food just in case. Who knew how far Arthur wanted to go?

Only when they were away from the walls of the city did he actually ask. “Something wrong?”

“No.”

Clearly whatever it was, Arthur didn’t want to talk about it. So he tried something else. “What did you tell Uther to settle him down?”

Arthur looked at him in confusion. “What?”

“Well, it’s been a few days and I’m still here and not banished, so…you must have done _something_.”

“I didn’t do anything. ...Morgana did.”

“Morgana?”

Arthur sighed and said, “I needed help so I went to her. Her plan seems to be working.”

Now he was more curious than ever. “What plan was that?” When Arthur told him, his jaw dropped. “Are you _serious_ , Arthur? That is the exact opposite of everything we’ve been working toward! I was trying to make it so they _didn’t_ think we were together!”

“You think I forgot that? You keep telling me that, but there isn’t any other way around it. He’s mad enough even if he believed that it was a lie to make you leave anyway.”

“But--”

“Would you just let me protect you!?”

Merlin fell silent for a minute at the irritated response and asked after he thought Arthur had calmed down, “Why do you want to protect me so much?”

“Because...you’re not thinking of yourself at all. Every time you bring it up, it’s always because it’s somehow a bad thing _for me_. I don’t think it’s fair that you discount yourself entirely.”

That...wasn’t what he was doing, but it was just his first instinct to make sure Arthur was all right. He cared about Arthur a lot more than he was truly comfortable with and he wanted to be by his side, but it wasn’t like he was neglecting himself. He wasn’t going to just throw his life away at the first danger that came by, it was a last resort, but he wouldn’t hesitate to do it.

He stopped his horse and Arthur glanced at him curiously. “Arthur, I think we need to talk.”

“About?”

“I’m not...discounting myself. I didn’t want to sleep with Masser and I’m really grateful, beyond words almost, that you were trying to help me. Everything you did, heavy handed as it was, was to help me. And I know you don’t like that I have magic and I’m stunned, and happy, that you let me try to fix it. But what I don’t like is the thought of the consequences of what your help entails. I’m just a manservant. Nobody cares what I do...mostly. But you’re the prince of Camelot and people do care about what you do. I don’t want...anyone to look down on you because of _me._ I don’t want people to look at you and think ‘Oh he’s the prince that’s bedding his manservant’. I want them to look at you and think ‘He’s the most noble knight of Camelot’. I don’t want to be the one that could possibly be in the way if you found you had feelings for someone. Or that they won’t take you seriously anymore because of me.”

Arthur didn’t say anything for a long moment, enough that Merlin felt himself blushing hotly and internally castigating himself for being so honest. As much as he knew there was a great man inside Arthur, he was still a prat and could be excessively high-handed.

“You think pretty highly of yourself.” Before Merlin could get angry at that, Arthur continued, “I’m...honored you’re so worried about me, but I think you overestimate people. There’s always going to be some people that are going to look at me and think that way no matter what. I’m not blind enough to my own faults to believe that everyone is going to like me. Not now, anyway. And all that aside, this situation does have it’s benefits.”

“Benefits? _What_ benefits?”

But Arthur didn’t answer, just smiled at him. It was really more of a smirk than anything else, but there was a look in his eyes that sent his heart beating just a little faster than normal. He’d never seen Arthur look that way at anyone before and he wasn’t sure what it meant. A shiver went through him that he tried to suppress and he was both glad and disappointed that the prince turned away when he did, otherwise he’d see the flush creeping up on Merlin’s cheeks.

“A-At least that explains why the servants stare at me,” he muttered, needing to break the silence that fell between them for his own sanity, at the very least.

“What?”

“Morgana’s plan with the ‘rumors’. Seems at least all the castle servants seem to know about it. They keep staring at me.” He paused and then urged his horse to catch up to Arthur’s. “Hey, does that mean that I’m going to have to sleep in your room?”

Arthur blinked, as if that hadn’t occurred to him. “Not every night, but enough to make it seem like we’re lovers. Why? Missing my bed already?”

Merlin’s cheeks flushed even as he glared at the teasing question. That was a little too close to the chaotic situation they were in for his comfort and he couldn’t help sniping back, “Well the _bed_ yes, not so much the person _in_ it.”

He had fully expected Arthur to make another comeback at him, but the prince was oddly silent. Merlin eyed him, wondering what was going on behind that poker face. “Arthur? Why did you really want out of Camelot?”

“We needed a safe place for what I want to talk about.”

“And that is?”

“Your magic.”

Merlin’s stomach dropped like a stone. He’d been dreading this conversation since Arthur had found out about his magic and he once again cursed his own impulsiveness. If he’d just waited until he was out of Camelot to perform the spell… “Arthur--”

“You said that magic was just a part of you and to understand you, I need to know about it.”

“Understand me?” Merlin laughed. Since when had Arthur ever wanted to understand him? “I’m not complicated, Arthur. I’m the same now as I was two weeks ago. The only difference is that now you know I have magic.” That didn’t seem to be the answer that Arthur wanted, though, with how he frowned, so he ended up continuing, babbling, “I never really knew anything else. When I was three, I was moving things around with magic as easily as I breathed. Drove my mother crazy at times and she always had this worried look on her face because she was afraid of what would happen to me. As I grew up, I played a few pranks here and there with Will on some of the stuffier old men until she had a fit and punished me pretty bad for that.

“I wasn’t really sure if I should leave to come to Camelot, but she insisted that I go see Gaius. She claimed it was for him to teach me better control, but I honestly think it was a way of trying to get me to find some manner of guidance. I had nothing really to do there, other than be a farmer and there wasn’t a lot of call for reading or anything like that. She was probably right to do that, I was pretty aimless at that time.”

“And now?”

So lost in his story, he’d almost forgot that Arthur was even there. “Not so much anymore. At least I have a goal: to keep you out of trouble!”

The prince grinned. “And how’s that going?”

“Not great,” he pretended to grumble. “My success rate is pretty low!”

Arthur laughed long and hard and Merlin smiled, enjoying the rare sound. Arthur was usually exasperated at him, or angry, so he’d take what he could get. “So...are you still angry with me?”

“...Not really. I’m not happy that you hid it from me, but I understand why and you were probably right to be worried. When we first met, I wouldn’t have hesitated to turn you in to my Father.”

“And now?”

“Things are different.” Merlin waited, but there was no elaboration to that. Before he could push for an answer, his friend changed the subject. “So is there anything else I should know about you or your magic?”

“Nothing I haven’t told you.”

After that, Arthur didn’t talk much and instead urged his horse into a gallop. It took all of Merlin’s admittedly somewhat poor riding skills to keep up and not fall off the saddle. To his credit, Arthur never went too far so he lost sight of him, which Merlin knew he was prone to do when he was in a mood to just ride his horse.

They only turned around when it began to rain and by that point, they were pretty far from Camelot. By the time they returned, both he and Arthur were soaked to the skin. Merlin squeezed some water from his shirt in the stables and he was so busy paying attention to that, he didn’t see Arthur suddenly lunge and push him against the wall.

“Arthur, what--”

“Shh.”

It was then he noticed that their silhouettes could be seen and likely Arthur had seen someone. “I don’t understand what you’re doing,” he whispered.

“Cementing the lie,” was the reply and he squeaked just a little as suddenly the prince’s lips were on his.

Everything beyond that sensation disappeared. His world had narrowed to the wet prince pressing him against the wall. Arthur was surprisingly gentle, fingers sliding into Merlin’s black hair and urging his head to tilt just so. He let out a soft gasp and a tongue took the opportunity to slide into his mouth. Before he could help it, Merlin’s eyes closed as he grew lost in it. This was everything that smashing of lips wasn’t after the first banquet. Arthur seemed intent on taking his time, mapping out Merlin’s mouth and when he thought that the prince would pull away, he was always wrong.

Before he could stop them, his arms had slid around Arthur’s chest and there was a sound of approval from the other man. A thumb ran gently along Merlin’s jaw, the motion of the prince’s lips soothing and sweet. It was only as his fingers twined into the back of a wet shirt did the pleasant feeling of Arthur’s tongue disappear.

“Arthur,” he moaned a little.

“Shh,” was whispered at him and the prince gave him an almost euphoric smile before their lips met again. This time he wasn’t sure who moved first, but some of the gentleness and the exploration had given way to a rising passion. A faint growl sounded from his partner when Merlin’s tongue touched his.

He wasn’t sure what would have happened if a hand hadn’t slid down his spine, and it felt like someone had just thrown ice water on him. This wasn’t real. This passion, this excitement he felt, wasn’t meant for _him_. It was to continue a lie that Merlin knew right then he didn’t want to continue. Not caring if someone might still be here, he pushed Arthur away abruptly and ran.

~

“You...did _what_?”

Arthur couldn’t meet Morgana’s eyes. He knew he had made a massive mistake by kissing Merlin, not just once but _twice_. He’d seen the passing figure of someone nearby and it had seemed like a golden opportunity. His plan had succeeded, he knew their shadows had been seen for a split second, and he had told himself he had to pull away...but he didn’t. Merlin’s lips had been surprisingly soft and he’d responded so sweetly, so he did the next worst thing he could do: he’d continued and leaned in for another.

Right then he’d been determined to tell Merlin the truth of his feelings. His manservant had returned his passion and it had bolstered him enough that he was going to lay his feelings bare as soon as he could bring himself to pull his lips away. And then it had all been ripped from him in a single second. There had been something in Merlin’s eyes, panic probably, and he had run away.

Arthur hadn’t gone after him. He knew that would be the worst thing he could do. Instead he’d slammed his fist into the wall of the stable to calm his frantic feelings, the urge to follow regardless of what his head said. So instead he’d changed and went to the one person he thought might be able to help him salvage this situation.

There were no recriminations immediately, even though the silence was more eloquent than words could be. “What happened to just touching his shoulder here and there?”

“Apparently that wasn’t good enough for me,” Arthur growled, banging his head against the mantel of the fireplace. Before she could get angry at his response, he added, “I know I royally messed this up. It was a good idea, but all I had to do was just lean close to him for that...but he was _there_ and we were so damn close...”

“What happened after that, Arthur?”

It was almost physically painful to admit the rest. “He pushed me away and ran. And he was right to do that.”

“Why do you think that?”

Arthur looked back at the sitting woman, wondering if she had lost her mind. “I kissed him, Morgana. The first time he might accept, know the reason for it, but the second one? That was all my lack of control.” He clenched his hand into a fist. “It was as if everything in my life made sense right at that moment and I was going to tell him how I felt as soon as I could stop kissing him, but that shove was pretty well my answer without saying anything.”

“You don’t know that. He could have just been in shock, realizing he enjoyed it as much as you did. You did say he responded.”

He really wanted to just blame this all on Morgana. All he’d come to her for was a way to save Merlin’s life and not get him banished from Camelot, but she had given him hope that it was possible to have an actual romantic relationship with Merlin. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow about it. No sense in attempting to avoid it.”

“My advice is don’t act like you’re doing something you hate when you do it.”

He glared at her and her smug smile. “On the more pressing issue, have you have any success with Uther?”

“So far, yes. He hasn’t banished Merlin yet, has he? He hates it, don’t make any mistake about that, but there have been quite a few nobles that have made comments to Uther about how pleased they are with his ‘support of love’. At first, I don’t think he knew what they were talking about and now that he has, he hasn’t figured out a way to say no without looking foolish or cruel. After all, he’s being praised for being a compassionate and wise king for it, how would he tell them that in fact it’s the exact opposite and lose the admiration and influence he’s suddenly receiving?”

“I’d be scared if you weren’t my ally...”

She gave him a smirk at that, but it softened to a smile after a smile. “I _would_ like to see you both happy as much as I enjoy watching Uther suffer this crisis.”

Arthur had mixed feelings about that. He still loved his father, but how could what his father said be right about magic, about Merlin? Perhaps he was blinded by love, but if he could see that magic wasn’t evil in and of itself, why couldn’t Uther if he was such a good ruler? It wasn’t the first time that he had come to realize that his father was just wrong about some things, like letting Merlin die from the poisoned chalice.

“Don’t worry so much, Arthur. I have a feeling that what happened will be a good thing in disguise. It will work itself out.”

“What makes you so certain?”

“Just a feeling,” Morgana told him. Well, it wasn’t the first time she had had such feelings and they were usually right, but could he trust his entire heart to that ‘feeling’? She had no proof, nothing to point to that she was right.

Arthur rubbed his eyes and shook his head, deciding that he really just needed to sleep.

~

As Merlin’s eyes opened that morning, he knew what he had to do. It had haunted him all that night, that kiss, and the thought that Arthur could put that much passion into something like that and not mean any of it. It had been to cement a lie, to pretend that they were lovers, but it had been too devastating to realize that and at the same time, discover that not only did he enjoy what they’d been doing, that he wanted to do it just as much now as then.

He didn’t say much to Gaius that morning and took his time getting to the prince’s room. He should have gone to the kitchen to get breakfast first for him, but all of a sudden there was an urge to just get this out of the way as fast as possible. So he opened the door without even knocking, not expecting said prince to be awake, only to find him sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands and still in his sleep clothes.

Their eyes met and Merlin felt his resolve shake just a little. He took his time closing the door if only to give himself a chance to recover it. “Arthur...we have to talk.”

“Merlin--”

“No, let me finish first,” he interrupted, staring at the floor rather than the disconcerting blue eyes that were watching him. “I...appreciate all you’re doing for me, Arthur, I really do...but I can’t do that again.” Merlin felt his hands shake a little with nerves and he gripped his pants tightly. “If...protecting me...means that we...kiss like that again, we should stop. Because I can’t.”

He felt more than saw Arthur stand up and after a minute, bare feet were in front of his. He heard Arthur suck in breath, probably to tell him that he was doing all this for him and he was going to _have_ to continue, and he felt words welling up in his throat. “I promised to myself that I wouldn’t keep secrets from you anymore,” he babbled, “and I’m going to keep that promise. So please don’t get upset when I tell you this: I can’t kiss you like that because I...liked it too much. I think...I think I might actually love--”

Hands abruptly gripped his chin, pulling up his head, and Merlin had a moment’s chance to see delight in the prince’s eyes before their lips were meeting again. Even as he tried to step backward, strong arms wrapped around his chest, holding him in place. He leaned his head away, breaking the kiss, but Arthur only whispered ‘Idiot’ before capturing his lips again.

There...was no point in kissing just now because no one was there to see. Did that...mean something? Could he possibly dare to hope?

Merlin couldn’t take the questions and broke the kiss a lot earlier than he wanted. “Arthur?”

“I love you, Merlin,” he said without preamble, sounding a little breathless but entranced. “I love you. I was going to tell you, confess everything, yesterday, but you left.” His eyes widened in shock and Arthur just laughed at him.

“What—How--”

“How long? _Months_ , Merlin. Does that explain my reaction?”

Thinking back to the debacle of the banquet time and again, it made a ton of sense. “You...” A sense of relief so strong it left his knees weak swamped him and he half slumped against the closed door. “You’re serious?”

“Absolutely. And now that you know my feelings, you know I’m not letting you leave Camelot.”

Merlin felt his lips curl into a smile. “Never.”

Arthur sighed in what he assumed was relief and rested their foreheads together. “I was up all night trying to figure out how I was going to manage this conversation and you completely ruined that plan. What are you going to do to make it up to me?”

“Love you forever?”

Their eyes met at that and a look of hunger rose just a little between them. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”

It was still fairly early, he thought as Arthur leaned in just a little more. No one would be expecting the prince to be awake. Arthur was giving him a sexy smirk, a hand slowly slipping under the back of his shirt. He had a moment to consider whether it was such a good idea or not when the prince whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you no matter what.”

“How about instead of protecting me, you kiss me again?”

“You drive such a hard bargain,” Arthur mock-complained, but he was leaning in all the same and Merlin grinned when their lips met. His hands reached out to curiously explore the bare chest in front of him, memorizing with his touch what he’d seen before. A faint growl was the response to that and Arthur held him tighter, deepening the kiss.

“You have anywhere to be?” he panted when he was allowed to speak again.

“Not if you’re here,” the prince told him, tugging him around and he stumbled against the table. The prince didn’t seem to mind and instead shoved him up to sit on the top of it. “I’ve dreamt of this for months.”

“Could have fooled me,” he said, head tilting back out of his control as the man’s lips attacked his neck with soft nips.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, I had no idea that you loved me. I thought you could barely stand me sometimes.”

Arthur lifted up his head and kissed Merlin so tenderly that he almost didn’t think it was real. “What else was I supposed to do? At first, when I realized it, I was shocked and scared, and when I finally accepted it, I didn’t want anyone else to find out.”

“Guess that plan went out the window.”

“I don’t really mind how things have turned out,” Arthur said, smirking and his hand easing down to the front of Merlin’s pants, feeling the hardness there.

Merlin moaned, struggling not to just push his hips upward. “Uther’s going to kill me for this.”

“No he won’t. I won’t let him. Now shut up and let me make you feel good.”

As he tugged Merlin’s pants down and crouched between his legs, the sorcerer flushed and muttered, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Arthur gave him a slightly annoyed look. “What did I _just_ say?” he half-griped, tugging the coarse pants open.

“Since when have I ever listened to your orders?”

The prince gave him a look that he thought was supposed to be irritated, but it came out more amused than anything else. Rather than respond as he was expecting, Merlin watched as that talented tongue slipped out and slid along his heated, hard flesh slowly and deliberately. He groaned, head falling back before he could stop it. Encouraged, Arthur wrapped his lips around his tip and Merlin almost bucked his hips up unconsciously for more pleasure.

Hands were on his hips, holding them still and he was actually grateful for that because Merlin couldn’t control his impulses anymore when he felt that wet heat travel further and further down his length. His trembling arms gave out and he landed back on his elbows with a thump. “A-Arthur,” he whined, but the only response as a comforting stroke of his thigh.

Merlin hadn’t really abstained from sex for any particular reason in his life, and he couldn’t exactly deny that he and Will hadn’t fooled around once or twice back when they’d been much, much younger. Yet he’d never really delved that deeply into it; Will had determined that he was more attracted to women than men and Merlin more men than women, and they’d remained steadfast friends. And of course when he’d first seen Arthur, he’d found him unreasonably attractive--

He moaned in protest when the wonderful wet heat left him and it seemed to take so much more effort than it should to lift his head enough and look down at the man between his legs. Arthur had tugged his pants down around his knees at some point and was now licking his fingers. Before he could think to ask why, said fingers had eased to Merlin’s rear and he jumped a little in surprise. His exploration with Will had never gotten that far--

“What are you thinking about?” Arthur asked in a husky murmur, blowing air over his tip and seeming to enjoy Merlin’s involuntary whimper.

“N-Nothing!”

“Merlin...” That single finger gently twisted just a little, but the amazing blue eyes staring at him kept him distracted from the odd sensation.

“R-Really, it’s nothing!” he argued, blushing more at the idea of explaining what had been going through his mind rather than the compromising position they were in.

“It didn’t look like nothing. Tell me.”

“W-Well, I was thinking about Will...”

A hitch came over Arthur’s expression, his finger stopping for a minute before pulling out only to slide in two more. “What are you doing, thinking about another man when the crown prince of Camelot is currently pleasuring you first thing in the morning?”

While the words pretended to sound innocuous, like a simple question, Merlin could hear the tension his liege was trying to hide loud and clear. “I-It’s not like that!” he muttered, hissing just a little as he was widened a little less gently than seconds before. At the sound, Arthur’s fingers retreated just enough, lips leaving soft kisses on his hip as an apology. “Will and I...we experimented a little when we were young and...” Arthur wouldn’t look at him and Merlin hastened to explain better despite his pleasure-addled state. “We weren’t like that. We just discovered what we liked more and I was...more attracted to men and I just remembered the first time I saw you.”

That seemed to perk Arthur up and the prince’s eyes met his curiously. “Oh?”

“Before I knew who you were or that you were a total ass,” Arthur snorted at that but oddly didn’t really disagree with him, “I thought you were...” The word got stuck in his throat, though, and it took Arthur gently touching him inside that sent a lightning flash of pleasure up his spine to speak again. “Beautiful.”

“So you wanted me from then.”

“Well...no. Once you opened your mouth, I wanted to smack you.”

His partner laughed at that, letting his tongue lick along Merlin’s tip as a reward for putting up for his badgering. At least that’s how Merlin wanted to view it. “Y-You?”

“What about me?”

“When...”

“When did I want you?” At Merlin’s hum, Arthur stood up between his legs, gently stroking along his flesh with his unoccupied hand. “When I saw you sitting there in the blanket after we’d saved your life.”

“Saved my life…?” It took an embarrassingly long amount of time to figure out what Arthur was referring to, but he thought he could be given some leeway, considering what they were doing. “Oh. The cup? Bayard?”

“Yes. You looked a bit frail, worn out, and I just wanted to hold you and protect you. The carnal side of that came that night when I was in bed.” Arthur let him go, grabbing Merlin’s arms and gently easing him off the table only to turn him around and bend him over it. His whole face turned hot as he could feel Arthur’s heat over his back and rear as he loomed behind him. “Never felt that strong of lust for anyone on my life.”

Soft cotton brushed against his bare flesh as the prince leaned in and he could feel just how hard he was. But the hands were at his shirt rather than his pants and Merlin felt his scarf, jacket, and shirt pulled away just enough for Arthur to leave kisses on his neck and shoulder. A soft moan escaped him as he felt Arthur’s rocking of his hips right into him. “Arthur, you...” He bit his lip and muttered even more quietly, “You _can_ , you know.”

A groan sounded against his ear, and Arthur growled, “I wanted to savor this, but I don’t think I can right now.”

“Later,” Merlin promised, easing his hips back into the hard heat he felt.

One hand left his clothes and he felt Arthur fumble with his sleep pants. After a few seconds missing pressure, it was back, only this time with skin and he moaned in anticipation. Those lips were back at his neck, leaving marks behind before a faint whisper of warning drifted to him.

He couldn’t help crying out at the pressure, his hands reaching and gripping the table edges so tightly his knuckles were white. It was so intense, he was sure that Arthur wouldn’t fit, and the uncomfortable burning of his muscles being stretched even further than his fingers that he wondered just what was so great about this.

“Shh, Merlin, it’s okay. Just a little more,” Arthur cooed at him, a hand wrapping around his stiff length and stroking gently. It was a needed distraction as the prince shifted just once more and gasped, their hips flush. Fingers played with his tip, and Merlin let out little whimpers, but Arthur didn’t move. Instead he pulled the shirt back even more so he could kiss more bared skin.

“Arthur,” he whined, shivering in all the attention. “Aren’t you…?”

“When you’re ready.”

Despite the words, Merlin could hear the strain in his voice, how much effort it was taking to remain still. As the stinging sensation of stretched muscles receded when he began to relax, he shifted his hips back just a tad and Arthur moaned throatily in his ear. He really liked that sound, he decided, and did it again.

This time, Arthur gripped his hip more tightly and pulled out briefly before pushing back in. “Merlin!” His gasped name sounded half-cursed, half in awe and the sorcerer cried out when the prince changed his angle and hit something deep and powerful inside. That lightning pleasure raced up his spine again, making him throb and that was all the encouragement Arthur needed.

A hand grabbed his and that was the warning he got when gentle and soft became harder and more passionate. Merlin did everything he could not to yell, to draw attention to them, despite the whole palace knowing they were together before he did. Merlin had no interest in sharing this side of Arthur with anyone, letting anyone hear the beautiful sounds the normally emotionally-reserved man had.

Nothing in his life had ever felt as right as this moment other than his magic. He felt powerful and humbled at the same time, and if it never ended, he’d be all right with that. It wasn’t just the pleasure, though that was a big part of it. It was the fact that he was allowed join Arthur into a moment where they were completely in sync, two halves of one whole in the purest sense. As he felt Arthur press his forehead against his shoulderblades, he knew the prince was as vulnerable to him as Merlin was to the prince.

His introspection was gradually lost as his need to find release grew stronger. He whined deep in his throat, drawing a whimper from Arthur, the only warning he was going to get that Arthur was feeling it too. “Can I?” the prince whispered hoarsely, a begging plea rather than a simple question.

“Yes,” he replied, not even sure what he was agreeing to, but not caring at all.

Rough fingers stroked along him with an intent matched by the sudden passion of his hips. Merlin knew he couldn’t hold his sounds in, so in the briefest moment of clarity he could muster, his eyes glowed and a silence spell took hold of the room. No second to waste, he yelled in pleasure as his climax took him and Arthur was right behind him, filling him with his seed.

He bonelessly let the table hold his entire weight as Arthur eased back, just resting over him for a minute before straightening. Merlin shivered at the loss of heat before Arthur’s arms were back, pulling him to standing just long enough to lead him over to the bed. He watched in post-coital awe as the prince yanked off all his clothes and shoes, throwing them over to the corner of the room before curling them both into that soft bed.

“Arthur...”

Arthur stroked his face surprisingly gently and whispered, “I love you.”

He couldn’t help the smile that came over his face at that before he passed out.

~

Arthur watched as Merlin fell asleep in his arms, something he had been sure would never happen in his life. He’d been absolutely determined to make their first time as special as he could, though he wasn’t sure he’d achieved that given that seeing the sorcerer spread out on the table for him had tempted every bit of control he’d ever possessed in his life.

There was no way he was going to allow Uther to banish Merlin. If it took leaving with him, then that was what he would do, but he was hoping it wouldn’t come to that. As his manservant snuggled more securely against his side, Arthur felt a calmness and resolve that hadn’t known before. Maybe the reason Uther hadn’t believed him, hadn’t taken him seriously, had just been because he’d had nothing to back it up with. He had never known Merlin’s body in the sense that it mattered when trying to make Uther believe they were lovers when they weren’t and his denials of his feelings had been weak and paltry during his attempt to convince Uther they weren’t in a relationship. It was hard to have conviction in either case when it wasn’t true.

But it was true now and he could feel that give him the strength he lacked before. Merlin was his, heart and soul, just as he belonged to Merlin. Morgana’s plan seemed to be working, but Arthur couldn’t help wonder if he needed a contingency just in case it failed. If it meant going in front of his people, the knights, and telling them the truth, that’s what he would do.

Not about his magic, though. One thing at a time. Arthur was under no illusion that such a thing would have to wait until he was king because there would be no changing Uther’s mind.

“Arthur...”

He blinked, drawn out of his thoughts at the whispered word, and he looked down at Merlin and the little furrow in his brow. What sort of dream was he having? Did Merlin usually have nightmares? He had never had the chance to find out before.

A faint knock drew his attention and he quietly and carefully slid from the bed, pulling on some pants just for decency’s sake, and opened it, only to blink in surprise at seeing Gaius standing there. “Gaius?” Before he could stop himself, he glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping sorcerer.

“...Ahh. If I could have a word, sire?”

“Let me get a shirt.”

Carefully, so as to not wake Merlin, he hunted for a simple white shirt and stepped out of his room into the hall. No one was around and he led the aged healer to half-hidden alcove nearby. “Something you needed, Gaius?”

“Merlin informed me as to what’s happened. At least...some of it.”

The look Gaius gave him was terribly explicit as to what he was referring to in the latter and this was not a conversation he wanted to have! Merlin hadn’t exactly hidden the fact that he thought of Gaius as his father and Gaius thought Merlin as his son. “There...is a lot that’s going on and right now the only thing we need to be concerned about is keeping Merlin in Camelot.”

“Then I do hope you have a plan because I just had a visit from a knight looking for Merlin.”

He felt something cold slide down his throat at that. “Who was it?”

Gaius paused before finally saying quietly, “Sir Leon.”

Damn! Leon was one of the most noble, and loyal, knights they had. He wasn’t sure if he could convince Leon to give him time to talk to his father.

“I was looking for Merlin to warn him, but when I couldn’t find him, I thought I would ask you.”

The heavy pause as to what the man had seen in the brief glimpse into his room filled the silence, but once again, Arthur wasn’t going to deal with it right at that moment. “Provided Merlin stays asleep and in my room, he’s safe for now, long enough for me to find Leon. He won’t go looking for him in my chambers, at least not without asking me if he can enter them.”

“What are you planning on doing?”

“Right now? I need to find Leon and try to convince him to leave Merlin alone, then go to my father.”

“Let me talk with Leon.” Arthur jerked, not having heard Morgana come up behind him. Before he could do anything more than glare, she continued, “I believe I can convince him of the genuineness of your feelings for Merlin and that he should support you, but Leon will never directly go against Uther unless pushed. You need to deal with the king about this issue or it’s going to put the knights in conflict between you.”

And that would be a recipe for a disaster, Arthur knew. If there was any rift between the knights and the king and prince, it could lead to a civil war. It chafed at him, the idea of letting someone else handle Leon when the knight was a direct threat to the man he loved, but Leon wasn’t the root of the problem.

“Fine. Morgana, go find Leon and see what you can do. Gaius, stay in my chambers with Merlin until I return. If he wakes up, keep him from leaving. I’ll handle my father.”

Arthur turned to head to the throne room first, not bothering to put on shoes or anything besides the simple leather pants and loose cotton shirt he wore. Servants stared at him as he passed and he heard their twitters when they thought he was out of earshot, but he didn’t care. Let them say what they would about his attire and what he’d obviously been doing. None of this would work if they didn’t know about it anyway.

There was no one in the great throne room, so he turned to the second most likely place to find the king: the much less impressive but more used audience room. Arthur had half-expected not to find him there either, but Uther sat in the impressive chair that stood in for a throne with his head in his hands. At the sound of the door opening, the crowned head lifted only to lower again at seeing Arthur.

“Leave, Arthur.”

“No,” he hissed, stalking forward. “I just heard that you’ve been looking for Merlin.”

“From whom?”

“Does it matter?”

Uther leaned back in his chair. “I shall have to talk to Gaius about his loyalties.”

Well, it didn’t take much to figure out who would have told him. Anyone looking for Merlin would have gone to Gaius’ rooms first and foremost. “No you won’t. And Merlin isn’t going anywhere,” he told him flatly, leaving no room to argue.

Thunderclouds of anger filled the king’s eyes. “You dare take that tone with the king?”

“I will because what you’re doing is wrong. I _love Merlin_ and that’s not hurting anyone, least of all you!”

“Arthur--”

“I’m not finished yet!” he interrupted angrily. “I know everything you’re about to say because I thought it myself when I first realized my feelings. ‘What future is there when I have to have an heir in my life?’ and ‘Could I do that to Merlin, marrying regardless just for that and watching him suffer?’. For a bit I thought it wouldn’t be possible, that I would have to sacrifice my happiness for his future and then I realized something: I don’t have to have an heir.”

“Arthur...”

He ignored the warning tone, the way Uther slowly stood up. “Blood doesn’t define everything, Father. Adopting a child, or just naming someone as my successor are valid options. I might find someone more suited to carrying on my legacy from someone not born from our blood than any child I might have! Secondly, no, I couldn’t do that to Merlin, not only because marrying just for an heir is wrong to him, our feelings, and the woman I chose to marry! It’s an insult, a slight, for all concerned because it speaks to a callousness at the way royalty treats marriage and people in general! If I’m unable to marry Merlin himself, then I just won’t marry!”

“You speak of heresy! It goes against the natural order of the world, Arthur!” Uther yelled at him, a look of terror and anger in his eyes.

“If it’s unnatural then why do I love him?! Why do I feel the urge hold him tight, to find pleasure in his arms?! If it’s unnatural, why are people _born_ with magic?!”

“And you would bring magic into this!”

“How is what you’re saying any different?!” he shouted, not realizing at that moment that the king and the prince weren’t alone. “The feeling to love another man as a man or being born with magic… if it isn’t as natural as a man loving a woman or not having magic, then _why do they exist_? Explain how such things can even occur if it isn’t _natural_ from the world around us!”

For a moment there was no response to that, as Uther opened and closed his mouth. When his eyes flicked over Arthur’s shoulder, the prince turned to see Morgana, Gaius, Leon...and Merlin standing there, staring at him. For a moment he felt frustration and anger, as he had told them to keep Merlin away...but it was washed away in resignation. Merlin would never let him do this alone.

He gestured and Merlin hurried to his side, grabbing his hand as if he didn’t even think twice about doing so. Arthur turned back to his father, seeing him in a new light, an almost broken man. “Father, I love Merlin and if he leaves, I will as well…but I don’t want to. I love Camelot, this is my home and you are my family...but I have to be able to live my life as I feel is right. You may never agree with me, but I am still your son and I still love you, but if you force me to choose, I have to pick what’s most important to me.”

Morgana stepped forward, joining him on his other side. “And if they leave, I leave.”

“Morgana--”

“You are a smart man, Uther, and once a wise, strong king. Don’t let fear of the unknown turn you into a corrupt one and lose one of the best things you’ve ever had in your life.”

Arthur watched as Uther slowly sat down in his chair, looking older and older by the moment. He wasn’t sure what else to say, but it was Gaius that stopped him from babbling. “Leave him be.” As he left, pulling Merlin with him, he watched as the doors closed, leaving the healer alone with the king.

~

“And you’re not going to panic this time?”

Merlin rolled his eyes at Arthur as he clipped the cloak onto the prince. “I wasn’t the one panicking two years ago. If I remember right, _you_ were the one that stood up and caused all the fuss.”

When he turned around to grab the prince’s necklace, an arm snaked around his waist, pulling him back into the ceremonially leather-clad body. “What did you expect me to do when Lord Masser picked the man I loved?”

The sorcerer grinned despite himself. The Tenmari were visiting again, a months-long plan coming to fruition this time, rather than the haphazard and doomed last minute hosting. “Well he won’t be able to this time. You rewrote the treaty with them.”

It had been a long battle, but all parties had been worn down and the practice banned in Camelot. “I’m rather proud of that. Now are you going to get ready?”

“If you let me go, I might.”

Merlin put on his own cape, one that wasn’t nearly as impressive as partner’s. He rather wished he could just wear his usual clothing, but as official consort to the crown prince, he was required to dress up now. As he looked down at the milling of knights and nobles below, waiting their and the Tenmari arrival, he marveled on his fortune.

It had taken Uther a lot longer to come around, but eventually he had accepted their relationship, to the point of even making his position as lover as official as it could get without him actually marrying Arthur. The whole kingdom was aware of it, a proclamation had been sent out about it. Arthur had made mutterings here and there that marriage wasn’t entirely off the table, but Merlin could tell he wasn’t going to push it while Uther still held the throne.

His magic was still hidden, but Merlin was content with that for now. Those that were closest to him knew and that was all that mattered.

“Merlin, are you coming?”

He looked up, spotting Arthur waiting for him in the doorway. He looked as beautiful then as the day he had when Merlin had first laid eyes on him and he smiled. Life wasn’t perfect, but it was plenty good enough.


End file.
